Emerging technologies such as 3D printing, the internet of Things, augmented and virtual reality, cognitive systems, next-generation security, and robotics are often referred to as “innovation accelerators” due to the disruptive impact their use can have on long-established markets and the businesses that compete within them.

When these technologies first started arriving on the scene, none caught the public’s imagination quite like 3D printing, with hobbyists and craft enthusiasts reeling off a seemingly endless list of things they would one day be printing themselves from the comfort of their own homes.

It’s fair to say that this consumer-driven revolution hasn’t materialised to the extent that those early adopters had initially envisaged, and large-scale consumer 3D printing demand is still some way off given the limited value of most current consumer use cases.

That’s not to say there won’t be a buoyant consumer 3D printer market further down the line, just that the focus has shifted somewhat to the higher-value potential that exists in other more profitable segments of the market.

Indeed, 3D printing has grown from an experimental opportunity to a technology that can change the way businesses operate. As such, 3D printing will evolve into a mainstream market in the near term, with the competitive landscape steadily heating up in the process.

This is because 3D printing is no longer just a collection of Kickstarter companies searching for traction, but a solid market opportunity where established multibillion-dollar printer and IT organisations are placing their bets for growth. For IT buyers, this will open up a new range of options from familiar suppliers.

There will be changes in how 3D printers operate and what they print, with certified materials becoming more commonplace as suppliers looked to increase compliance with long-established industry standards. Sensors will also be embedded into 3D-printed “smart parts” to provide information on product performance, location, and service requirements.

Spurred by such developments, the global spending on 3D printing to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.3 per cent over the coming years to total $28.9 billion in 2020. Purchases of 3D printers and materials combined will account for around two-thirds of total global revenues throughout this period.

Meanwhile, revenues for computer-aided design (CAD) software are set to triple over the 2016—2020 forecast, with the market for on-demand parts services growing at a similar rate.

These gains in both software and on-demand parts printing are being driven by the rapidly expanding use of 3D printing for design prototyping and products that require a high degree of customisation in non-traditional environments.

Discrete manufacturing remains the dominant industry for 3D printing, delivering more than two-thirds of all worldwide revenues through much of the forecast, and we can expect to see the rise of microfactories featuring 3D printers over the coming years, together with more efficient spare-part inventory management and greater collaboration between 3D printing and robotics on the production floor.

Revolutionary possibilities also exist in the health care sector, where 3D printers will begin to play a greater role in surgery, implants, and skeletal procedures. The emergence of such innovative use cases in this space will see the health care sector account for $3.1 billion of global 3D printing revenues in 2020, second only to manufacturing.

Thanks to the broader variety of 3D printers and materials that can be used, and also to lower prices, 3D printing is becoming more sophisticated and devoted to newer uses. For example, dental printing is growing rapidly, as is 3D printing for medical implants and devices.

Moreover, the 3D revolution is discovering new market niches, and new uses will continue to arise in the future. Last year, the use cases that generated the largest revenues for 3D printing worldwide were automotive design, rapid prototype printing, and aerospace and defence parts printing.

But by 2020, dental printing will become a strong challenger for the number-three position in terms of worldwide revenues, while medical implant and device printing, product creation and prototype printing, and prosthetics printing will all present significant opportunities.

The proliferation of such use cases means the health care sector will see the fastest growth of all industries in terms of 3D printing adoption over the coming years, but the potential of this truly innovative technology really does know no bounds.

Together, these possibilities are generating considerable excitement for the prospects of 3D printing, driving timely discussions on both how and where the technology will be used in an increasingly digitally transformed marketplace.

The columnist is group vice-president and regional managing director for the Middle East, Africa and Turkey at global ICT market intelligence and advisory firm International Data Corporation (IDC). He can be contacted via Twitter @JyotiIDC. Content for this week’s feature leverages global, regional, and local research studies undertaken by IDC.